The Country Guesthouse (Sullivan's Crossing #5)(20)

“I love you, too, Hannah,” he said. Then he was out.

When she got back to the porch, Owen held up a bottle of wine. “It’s not your bedtime yet, is it?”

  Late that night, much too late, she texted Kate asking if she was awake. Her cell phone rang immediately.

“Everything okay?” Kate asked.

“Oh, Kate, this is the best thing I’ve ever done. Noah is so happy, completely worn-out, his cheeks pink from sunshine, his laughter is quick and crazy. There is this wonderful man here with a big lovable dog named Romeo who adores Noah—the dog, I mean. Although Owen loves him, too. He took us to get wet suits today because swimming will be good for Noah and the lake is too cold and...and he’s so nice.”

“Oh, boy,” Kate said.

“I’m okay,” Hannah said. “It’s not romantic. But I’ve never met anyone like him in my life. I can’t wait to tell you about him. He’s sort of famous. Also, he’s kind of shy. He’s published these books. Wonderful, amazing books. I never imagined Noah and I would run into someone like this...”

  The days became a kind of fluid beauty for Hannah. Noah rarely woke up during the night and when he did, he was able to go back to sleep. He cuddled a lot, especially if he was a little tired. He woke up each morning filled with excitement, anxious to get his playmates across the yard moving. A couple of mornings Romeo found deer in the yard and chased them. Once there was a buck and he briefly turned on the Great Dane, though he didn’t get too near, but Romeo yelped and ran as though he’d been gored, causing Noah and Owen to laugh wildly.

The wet suits arrived and Noah and Owen got right into them. They donned their rubber shoes, waded into the lake, and within a half hour Noah was swimming! They didn’t wear flippers because Owen had read that learning to kick using the power of his ankles was better for building strength and stretching out tendons. Hannah couldn’t get Noah out for two hours, and then only long enough for a brief rest and a lunch break, and then he was begging to go back in.

In the afternoons, Hannah read to Noah in the hammock. What she learned right away was that Noah had some powerful reading skills. When she asked him how long he’d been reading he couldn’t exactly remember. “I didn’t play outside as much as the other kids,” he said.

On an early-May morning they woke up to a gentle rain and Noah begged and begged to go swimming. Hannah was firm that he could wait at least until the sun came out. Since Owen had explained about Helen Culver’s occupation as a writer and since Hannah already knew about Helen’s experience “inheriting” her niece, she thought maybe that rainy morning might be a good time to pay a visit to the Crossing. “Let’s go to Sully’s and you can say hello to Beau,” she suggested. “Owen, do you want to come along? I’ll just stay an hour or two if Helen isn’t too busy.”

Owen decided that the time would give him a chance to concentrate on some of his work. Hannah stuffed her backpack with diversions for Noah—his tablet, a couple of games, crayons and pens.

“Well, look here, the rain brings you out again,” Sully said when she walked into the store. “How’s the vacation going, young man?”

“We have wet suits and we can swim in them without freezing our nuts off,” he said.

Hannah put her hand over her mouth. “I’ll, ah, speak to Owen about his choice of words.”

“Sounds like it’s accurate enough,” Sully said. “We men tend to speak our minds around these parts.”

“Can I play with Beau?” Noah asked.

“As long as you don’t let him out. There’s no dog I know who loves rain and mud like this one and I’m not in the mood to wash him. I have an idea. You want to brush him for me? Unload about ten pounds of hair?”

“I could maybe do that,” he said.

“On the porch, then,” Sully said. “And don’t you let him in the yard.”

“Do you think I could interrupt Helen’s writing?” Hannah asked. “I’ve been wanting to talk with her.”

“She’d prolly welcome it,” Sully said. “At least the people she’s killing off in that book will be grateful.”

“Do you mind if Noah stays with you and Beau for just a little while?”

“I’d be real happy about that,” he said. Hannah shrugged out of her backpack, handing it to Sully. “Well, now, I know there’s no bottles or diapers in here, so what’ve we got?”

“Games and stuff,” Noah said with a little giggle. “To keep me busy.”

“I see,” Sully said. “If you brush the dog, then you can maybe teach me one of these games.”

“I could do that,” he said.

  Helen looked up from her computer and smiled at Hannah. “I was hoping you were coming for a visit.”

“Are you in the thick of it? Your story?”

“Ach, it’s the most boring story I’ve ever written. At the moment, at least. How is your vacation so far?” Helen closed her laptop and indicated the other chair at her small table.

Hannah sat down. “Magic,” she said. “I’ve never seen Noah so happy. I was so afraid that no matter what I did, he might never be happy again.”

“There will still be those days,” Helen said. “Right now he’s too busy to dwell, but that longing for his mother will come and go. You’re right to enjoy these days. And your color is so good, too. You’ve been spending lots of time outdoors, haven’t you?”